{"id":79729,"date":"2023-02-07T17:02:32","date_gmt":"2023-02-07T17:02:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.prodpad.com\/?p=79729"},"modified":"2025-01-13T16:25:39","modified_gmt":"2025-01-13T16:25:39","slug":"product-value-proposition-models","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.prodpad.com\/blog\/product-value-proposition-models\/","title":{"rendered":"6 Product Value Proposition Models for Product Managers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Your product\u2019s value proposition is pretty darn important. It\u2019s how you confirm the fact that this thing you\u2019re working so hard on should actually exist, will find an audience, and \u2013 you know \u2013 make some money.<\/em> 

But you probably already know that. And you might already have a good idea of the various value talking points that your product has to offer your customers. What you might not know, however, is that there are a bunch of different ways to go about massaging yours into shape. 

Product value<\/a> statements come in many shapes and sizes, and sometimes in several different guises for a single product. But what they all have in common is that they\u2019re the result of some serious thinking on the subject of purpose and benefit. 

And, just like how a syllabus gives college classes a structure and a training plan makes a marathon seem attainable, it\u2019s easier to position your product\u2019s value if you run it through an established model.

A product proposition model is a framework for clarifying your salient points. It\u2019s the product planning equivalent of pushing Play-Doh through one of those shape makers \u2013 all the constituent parts were already there, but now you have a star, instead of an amorphous lump.

So let\u2019s make some stars. In this piece, we\u2019ll run through seven of the best-established models and templates for encapsulating the value of your product, which you can use as a base to whittle down into something pretty stellar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Product value proposition vs product vision statement vs slogan<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Oof. I won\u2019t lie: there\u2019s overlap here. In fact, so much overlap that the frameworks, models, and results often seem quite similar. A slogan and a vision statement can both share elements ripped straight from a product value proposition statement for example. And, for all three, the resulting, written-down crux of your product can all sometimes form external, customer-facing copy.

And that kind of makes sense, because all of them suggest great things about your product in a way that\u2019s easy to understand. But here\u2019s how to look at it in simple terms:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Product value proposition <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As Janna has said before<\/a>, \u201cproduct value is the qualitative benefit that a user gets from a particular product in satisfying needs, solving problems, and achieving goals.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Product vision statement <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Where you want your product to be, what you want to it achieve, and how that will change the market as a whole. This is your future vision for the product, essentially.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Slogan<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The sexy stuff. The bit people remember. Billboard fodder. Your slogan is external, ad-style copy \u2013 usually no more than around 3-8 words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6 killer product value proposition models<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Ok, so how do you actually go about forming your product value proposition? The six models and templates we\u2019ll cover are all fantastic exercises that will help you clarify exactly what you have to offer.
To help demonstrate things, we\u2019re going to give an example for each value proposition model, based on a fictitious product.

Introducing the world\u2019s most incredible new tech product: YouStop<\/strong>: an enterprise-level desktop app that makes an annoying noise whenever employees have spent too long procrastinating on YouTube. The free tier has one noise, with paid tiers offering various sounds and dynamic reporting for managers and CTOs. Its (imagined) big rival in the space is YouTube Alarm. And, yeah, it sounds a bit draconian but let\u2019s run with it for now*.

We\u2019ll fill out each model as though we\u2019re trying to drill down into YouStop\u2019s value proposition, to give you a better idea of what\u2019s involved. 

*This article is brought to you by\u2026 Lots of YouTube procrastination.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Crossing the Chasm\u2019s six steps<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Geoffrey Moore\u2019s Crossing the Chasm<\/a> <\/em>has sold well over a million copies, so you might already be familiar with the six steps for crafting a value proposition cited in the book. It\u2019s an oft-repeated model for good reason: while you won\u2019t end up with anything particularly streamlined at the end of the process, you will have articulated your product\u2019s value in no uncertain terms.

For those unfamiliar, it involves filling out the information in a six-part statement with the following prompts:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Product<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

With our imagined product, that might look a little something like this:

\u2018For managers who are tired of their staff procrastinating, YouStop is a productivity tool that shocks staff into closing YouTube. Unlike YouTube Alarm, YouStop offers teams the ability to track app usage and generate reports about your employees\u2019 video-watching habits.\u2019<\/em> 

This actually helped form the basis for the way ProdPad creates product visions and we have a free interactive template that will help you write your own product vision here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Value proposition canvas<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Created by Dr. Alexander Osterwalder, the value proposition canvas is a two-pronged visualization tool designed to help you find a market fit for your product, based on what customers need. 

The canvas is a super visual framework divided into two sides: Customer Profile (or segment) and Value Proposition. Each side has three sections that complement each other, where the aim is to fill out the customer side first and then find strong links between their needs and your offering. <\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
Image credit from b2binternational.com<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

<\/a>The best way to do this is on a wall with a ton of Post-It notes for each section, but \u2013 all the same \u2013 let\u2019s work through a basic version of the list in the diagram above based on our imagined YouStop tool:

Customer Profile<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n